US Halts Illegal Tariffs After Supreme Court Ruling
The administration of President Donald Trump has announced it will stop collecting tariffs that the Supreme Court ruled were illegal, as they were imposed using emergency powers. This decision comes as investors grapple with the president's latest series of replacement levies, marking a significant shift in trade policy enforcement.
Market Reactions and Economic Impact
Following the announcement, the dollar slumped 0.4% against a basket of other currencies this morning. The US Customs and Border Protection agency confirmed it would deactivate all tariff codes associated with International Emergency Economic Powers Act-related orders effective Tuesday at midnight. In response, gold jumped 0.6% to $5,135 an ounce, reaching its highest level since late January, as investors sought safe-haven assets. Bitcoin initially dropped 4.8% to $64,300 before partially recovering to $65,734, while futures tracking the US S&P 500 stock market slipped 0.5% on Monday morning.
Top US trade negotiator Jamieson Greer stated on Sunday that the Trump administration intends to persist with its tariffs policy despite the legal changes. "The policy hasn't changed. The legal tools that implement that may change but the policy hasn't changed," he argued, emphasizing that it provides US businesses with "a lot of leverage" in global trade. This development underscores the ongoing tension between executive actions and judicial oversight in US trade relations.
Security Incident at Mar-a-Lago
In a separate incident, the Secret Service fatally shot an armed intruder who breached the perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's Florida residence and private club in Palm Beach, early on Sunday. Although the president often spends weekends at the oceanfront resort, he was at the White House in Washington during this event, along with First Lady Melania Trump.
At a press conference, Ric Bradshaw, the sheriff of Palm Beach County, revealed that two Secret Service agents and one of his deputies were alerted to a person within an inner perimeter. The intruder has been identified by investigators as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin, according to the Associated Press, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter. This incident highlights ongoing security challenges at high-profile political locations.
Additional News Highlights
Mexican Cartel Violence: One of the world's most wanted drug traffickers, Mexican cartel boss "El Mencho" (real name Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes), was killed by security forces on Sunday in the western state of Jalisco, along with at least six alleged accomplices. This operation triggered a wave of violence, with torched cars and gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states, underscoring the persistent threat of organized crime in the region.
Guardian Analysis on Deportations: A Guardian analysis of government records found that 77% of people who entered deportation proceedings for the first time in 2025 had no criminal conviction, exposing a stark gap between the Trump administration's rhetoric and reality on immigration enforcement.
New York Travel Ban: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has ordered a citywide travel ban for all but emergency travel, as the northeastern US prepares for an intense winter storm forecasted to reach blizzard strength and cause major disruption.
Trump vs. Netflix: Donald Trump has demanded that Netflix remove Democratic foreign policy expert Susan Rice from its board or "face the consequences," amid an extraordinary corporate battle for control of Warner Bros Discovery.
Stat of the Day: Olympic Hockey Victory
The United States claimed their third Olympic men's hockey title—and first since the Miracle on Ice team of 1980—with a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over Canada in Sunday's gold medal game at the Milano Cortina Games, showcasing a resurgence in American sports prowess on the global stage.
Civil Liberties Lawsuits
Donald Trump's second term has been marked by a rollback of civil liberties, but many Americans are fighting back through the courts. More than a hundred lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration, with individuals like Mohsen Mahdawi, Zaya Perysian, and Jon Carlson leading efforts to preserve freedoms, as explored in recent reporting on grassroots legal resistance.
Cultural and Environmental Notes
Bafta Awards Chaos: This year's Baftas featured a mix of praise and inadvertent insults, including an incident where John Davidson, who has Tourette's, shouted out the N-word from the stalls during the ceremony. Meanwhile, the film "Marty Supreme" made history by going home empty-handed despite 11 nominations.
Climate Innovation: Nobel laureate Prof Omar Yaghi has invented a machine that harvests water from dry air using ambient thermal energy, capable of generating up to 1,000 litres of clean water daily. This environmentally friendly technology could be vital for vulnerable islands during hurricanes or droughts.
Human Interest Story: A baby monkey named Punch in Japan has captured global attention after videos showed him being bullied by other monkeys and rejected by his mother. Zookeepers at Ichikawa zoo provided him with a stuffed orangutan toy, highlighting themes of animal behavior and compassion in conservation efforts.
